Results
by Kaye L
Summary: Results of gene tests, results of M&L shippers with too much free time, results of deaths


Disclaimer: See part 1. And FDP (for dramatic purposes) this ties in with "Memories and Confessions". Please review!

"Mail's here!" Madrigal rushed in, carrying a newspaper and envelopes. Max and Logan had been at Madrigal's for 2 days now. If the results didn't get here soon, Max would have to go back to Seattle; she couldn't afford to get fired. There had also been the problem of what to call the woman who may be her mother. Ms. Guevara was out; Madrigal sounded too odd if she was Max's mother, but Mom, if she _wasn't_…. Max had just avoided calling her anything. Now Madrigal picked up a long manila folder. She opened it, and out fell two gene printouts. And a typed message: _Congrats, it was indeed a girl!_

Max, and _her mother_ (her mother, the woman who _didn't_ want to give her up, who _hadn't_ been a paid deadbeat!) jumped up and hugged and laughed. Logan just sat there looking happy and strangely sad. "I take it you have a last name now?" he asked Max. She smiled wryly. "Yep. Your friend took his damn time about it, but atleast you found it." Max hugged him around the shoulders. Logan hugged her back, a little harder than he intended. "You said he wasn't your boyfriend!" Madri's accusatory voice chirped. 

"We really ought to explain who you are to them." Madrigal said coming into the hall. "Uhh, well, I'm… your sister. See your… my… _our_ mom had me a long time ago, and, umm… I got sent to this school… and when the Pulse happened they lost the records." Max finished. They obviously didn't believe this, but neither said anything. "Heyyyy, that means you're not the oldest, Cole, and we have a big sister, so now she can boss _you_ around…" "Oh, no." Madrigal was reading the paper. Max looked over her shoulder. **FOOD RIOTS AND FIRES IN L.A. HEAT UP MORE TEMPERS**, the headline read. "Mommy teaches lots of kids there." Madri put in sadly. The article went on to describe the numerous casualties and how police were responding. "I know so many kids there. I hold classes for street kids and just about anybody." Madrigal breathed. "There's no way you'd get into the city today. Plus, we're not too far from L.A. It's not safe, and…" "I won't go today Max. I think I'm going to make some hot chocolate… Max, can you help me?"

" -and, then I saw a hover drone bulletin, Logan was shot. They didn't say it was Logan… they said some one had been killed. He made it." Max looked at her mother, who was listening attentively. "I didn't know I could talk for that long." Madrigal nodded. "You would have great lung capacity." She looked thoughtfully at Max. "Would you have missed Logan if he died?" She shrugged uncomfortably. "Probably, at that point… definitely, at this point. He found Hannah for me. He found you." "It's be pretty easy to check if he was dead. Just see if his heart's still bleeding." Max smiled. "I know he thinks I'm working for Lydecker." Madrigal said. "I wouldn't. I've made my peace with what happened, but I never forget where I buried the hatchet. I did try to find you, Max, but one of my letters to teen shelters was intercepted by Lydecker's people. Too risky to you and I. Tell him to hack the US postal service records if he doesn't believe me. What does he really do? Somehow, he seems more like Green Peace than Green Beret. " Max smirked. "You know the eyes on _Eyes Only_?" Madrigal laughed. "So that's who keeps hacking my Cable in the Classroom…"

Logan sat on the back porch, not really looking at anything. _So Madrigal is Max's mother, _he mused. It was going to be hard to make sure she exercised caution with speaking to Madrigal. He thought about what he'd to if his parents were alive again. He'd probably tell them everything… _Just to be able to alleviate some of the solitude._ Logan sighed. _Max's solitude isn't something she'd want to get rid of. She's been running so long, and how the Manticore ops treated them_. Suddenly a much more real thought struck him. What if Max didn't want to go back to Seattle? If her mother asked her to stay, what could he do to get her to say no? Nothing really. Plus she'd be safer, riots and all. He smiled to think of _him_ protecting _Max_. "Hey Eyes Only, see anything interesting?" Logan looked up to see Max hanging by her feet from the gutter. "I see you've adjusted pretty well to your mom. And, no, I'm just thinking." She flipped and landed on the deck. "Yeah, what else would you be doing?" He looked slightly hurt. Max realized her mistake. "Logan, I didn't mean-" "Yeah, I know. So, um, has your mother asked you to stay here?" "Oh, I'm coming back for holidays and weekends, but some people'd notice if I just took off. I'd sorta miss my friends. Then you'd have to find a new stunt-girl." She shook her head. "Would you miss me?" he asked suddenly, without even intending to. Max laughed. "Why do you care? Would you miss me?" "I asked first." "I can kick your ass." He smiled. "Fine then, yes can't put out a classified: Martial arts expert with flagrant disregard for personal safety and minimal conscience. Job pays nothing, but pseudo-siblings can be located. The sad thing is, that might be a good way to find them." Logan looked at her. "Your turn." "You saved my entire neighborhood. You got Maria to a safe home. You found my mother. You kissed me after I had those seizures." "You almost broke my jaw." He interjected. "It's a reflex. And I was mad when you got shot. I'd miss you." He gazed at her quizzicaly. "Mad?" Max hugged her knees and stared up at the sky. "I didn't know what sad or grief were til I was 10." Logan wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. She broke the silence by saying. "You never did tell me why you kissed me." He actually blushed. "It was CPR. You almost died." Max cocked her head at him. "You know how transparent that is? I think if I stared hard enough, I could see straight through your head." He tried again. "I was worried."

"Like, oh damn I'm losing a business investment, now I don't have anybody to invite over for dinner, or I never even got to ask her out, kind of worried?" Logan looked like he was struggling with something. _Oh shit, here comes the I don't like you that way. _If he said that, she'd hate herself for making him say it. So Max didn't. She just sat on the edge of his wheelchair , gently turned his head, and kissed him. And a few more times. 'Cause she was worried about him. Right. 

"I have to, Madri, I'm sorry, but the police are going to send one of my students up river unless I can testify that he is a student. He doesn't have any parents." Madrigal explained. "But you almost got blown up last time!" Madri wailed, still clinging to her mother's hand. Max had been greeted by this scene when she came down this morning. "Max, can you and Logan, take Madri and Cole to the park or something today? I really need to get to L.A., and getting past Sector Police will be hard enough by myself." Madrigal pleaded with her. "Yeah, okay." Madri brightened. "I'm gonna tell Mole-boy." She ran off (she seemed to have boundless energy). "You look tired. Late night?" Madrigal asked casually. "Yeah. I don't sleep, but I'm tired." Madrigal raised an eyebrow. "I have _seizures_!" Max almost shouted, catching on. "You did stay down here all night with him." Madrigal said pointedly. "I-wasn't-feeling-well-he-offered-to-stay-we-were-talking" Max edged out through gritted teeth. Madrigal laughed. "What's going on?" Logan wheeled himself in. He saw the mock-evil grin on Madrigal's face and looked questioningly to Max. "Max just volunteered you to help her babysit Madri and Cole. Max, honey, I'd brush my hair over my neck if I were you." _The barcode?_ Max thought dumbly. Then she checked the mirror, and noticed the red spot on her neck. Madrigal's laughter followed her as she ran upstairs to change.

"Mommy, you're coming back tonight, right?" Madri wailed. "Yeah, Mom, I mean you got hurt last time you dodged the SP." Even Cole was worried. Madrigal was doing her best to look calm and reassuring. "Of course I will. And Max and Logan will take care of you if I don't get back tonight. I'll call about 4-ish, to check in. I love you." They both hugged her. She pulled Max aside. "Okay, everything you need to know about the incredibly complex little lives of these two is in the emergency book. Whatever you do, don't let them catch you breaking a promise. Kids are sticklers for your word." Max hugged her mother. Madrigal drove off.

Madri and Cole were swinging on the swings. It was actually a pretty nice playground, with slides and a jungle gym and all that. Madrigal had told her the town was mostly a country place anyway, so it wasn't hit too badly by the Pulse. Max remembered :_ Hiding out in a little wood treehouse for a couple of weeks after the escape. That was when she learned to start stealing. Of course, that was food and adaquete clothing. She'd been walking to a kid's shelter when the Pulse hit. She heard a distant BOOM!, something most people only felt the shockwaves of._ "Max?" Logan asked, shaking her out of her reverie. "Were you embarrassed, having your Mom know…" he sounded afraid to finish the question. "Logan, have you known me to be embarrassed about anything?" she retorted. He reached for her hand. Max smiled slightly, and pulled his arm around her shoulders, kissing his hand. "EWWW! G-ROSS!" Cole hollered. "What?" He made face. "Can you push Madri? I'm bored." Max smiled resolutely and got up. Logan was staring at her oddly. "Logan, stare at my ass when I'm not babysitting, 'kay?" she called over her shoulder.

"The mobsters must be getting worried, with no one revealing their crimelife on public TV." Max drawled, crammed on the couch between Madri and Cole, with Logan in his wheelchair. She had no idea what the hell the ancient cartoons on the set were, but she had her siblings, Logan, and Lydecker was very far away…. now if only her mother wasn't. _Rinnnnng!_ "I'll get it!" Madri and Cole yelled at the same time. "_I'll_ get it." Max picked up the reciever. "Is this the residence of Madrigal Guevara?" a nearly recorded voiced chirped. "Yes." Max said uneasily. "Ms. Guevara was shot this morning for attempting to cross the blockade on Los Angeles illegally. Social services will come for her children in the morning." All blood drained from Max's face. She grabbed the wall. Logan noticed. "Max? Are you all right?" "Can the children come see her?" Max asked. "Oh, I should certainly think not. She's dead."

"DEAD! MOMMY! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD SHE PROMISED!" Madri screamed. Cole just cried silently, clutching his sister. Max tried to hug her, but Madri ducked and ran to him. "She's my mom too-" "BUT YOU WEREN'T HERE!" Madri wailed. Cole's head snapped up, looking at Max. "Don't worry Madri, Mom said Max will take care of us." He looked at her and Logan, daring them to say no. "Guys, I can't take care of you…" Madri stopped crying for a moment. "Then wha's gonna happen to us? You said you were our sister." She hissed. "-but, I'll try, I guess." Max finished uneasily. The kids hugged her. Logan placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "And I'll help. In any way possible."

"Okay, you guys can't tell my roommate anything about where you've been, or anything other than your names and I'm your sister." Max cautioned them. It had been pretty simple to pack three backpacks with clothes, toys, and family albums, get everyone in the car. _Thank God Logan was rich, we'd never have gotten to the Washington border without bribe money._ Max thought. She opened the door of the apartment. "Hi Kendra!" she said brightly. Her roomy looked startled. "Okay, how long were you gone? I think I'm missing something here."

"Where are they?" Logan asked Max. "I got them to calm down enough to trust them not to drive Kendra insane. Remind me to rid my apartment of all things containing sugar." A weary Max fell onto his couch. "Why not send them here? I could watch them." Logan suggested. Max eyed him and the place shrewdly. "Way too many breakables. They'd probably max out your credit cards over the internet, probably just run rampant. God, everytime my feline genes kick in, I can just remember what I'd be stuck with the rest of my life." Logan moved closer to her. "How are you holding up, about your mother?" Max lifted her head. It alarmed Logan to see her crying. "I never got have a family. Everyone I love gets hurt. I can't believe she's dead…" Logan hugged her and kissed her hair, and Max just cried into his shoulder.

__

I bet you think that's the end….


End file.
